Ai, Ohio

Ai is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fulton County, Ohio, United States.[1] The population was 322 at the 2020 census. Ai has been noted for its short place name.[2][3][4]

History

Ai was established around 1843.[1] A post office was established at Ai in 1846, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1903.[5] With the construction of the Northern Indiana Air Line railroad during the 1850s, business activity shifted to nearby Swanton and Ai's population dwindled.[6]

Name origin

The origin of the place's name has been a local controversy. Some say that it was named after the biblical city of Ai,[3][4] while others believe that it was named after one of its founders, Ami Richards. The story continues Ami was a man, so others dropped the 'M' from his name to make the town's name more masculine.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ai, Ohio
  2. ^ Wolfe, Don (December 3, 1985). "One More Letter And Ai May Be Put Onto Map". Toledo Blade. p. 17. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Overman, William Daniel (1958). Ohio Town Names. Akron, OH: Atlantic Press. p. 2.
  4. ^ a b Wolfe, Don (August 20, 1985). "Names of cities, villages often are history lessons". Toledo Blade. p. 9. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  5. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ai Post Office (historical)
  6. ^ Heinke, Ed (April 7, 1980). "Ai: a name you can pronounce". The Bryan Times. p. 13. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  7. ^ "Ai Info". Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2015.

41°37′28″N 83°56′19″W / 41.62444°N 83.93861°W / 41.62444; -83.93861


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